In the Autumn of 2021, I was part of a group that partnered with the Jones House Community Center, of Boone, North Carolina, to develop a temporary physical exhibit commemorating Boone’s 150 years of incorporation. We worked together to develop a theme and organization for this exhibit, while smaller groups split up to develop separate sub-sections of the exhibit.

I worked with one project partner, Morgan Courtney, to develop a sub-section of the exhibit that would provide both town residents and visitors the opportunity to learn about and reflect upon daily life in Boone for the past 150 years, entitled “Through the Lens: Perspectives on Ordinary Life.” We found this title appropriate due to our use of photographs to exemplify aspects of both continuity and change in the everyday experience. We believed a creative installation would provoke guests to think critically about this history. We organized thematic ‘scrapbooks’ around family, work, play, and school – which visitors could add their own memories to – as an effective means to discuss both difficult and lighter topics, due to its play on a familiar and home-y medium. We also developed a graphic that demonstrated gradual climate change over time in a town known for its outdoor recreation. Jones House staff were enthusiastic about these ideas and received many contributions to the scrapbooks.

In addition to crafting a sub-section of the exhibit, I helped to organize a smaller team (my project partner and another partner, Catie Atkinson), to design the exhibit labels and panels with Adobe InDesign. I created a template for my team to follow to create a unified look.

The Jones House intends to digitize the Boone 150 exhibit. I have included several panels to view my writing and design samples. If images load incorrectly on this page, right-click to open in new tab. Please contact me for more information about this exhibit and/or to view additional panels.